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Plotting “What Happens Next?”: Sunday Reblog

Last updated on September 14, 2016

When you are plotting your book, there are going to be times when you are stuck, when you are not sure what should happen next. This week’s Sunday Reblog ties into my last post on Moving Forward When You (or Your Characters) Are Stuck. This article from Janice Hardy at Fiction University gives some solid practical advice on plotting and getting from point A to point B when it is more than just your character’s motivation that is in question.

 

plotting, outline

Where Do I Go From Here? Plotting Through “What Happens Next?” Part One

Whenever I’m not sure where the plot goes it’s almost always due to a goal issue. I’ve usually lost sight of what the protagonist was after and why she wanted it in the first place.

The rough part is, I often know what happens next in the plot, which makes the whole thing ever harder to manage. The story needs to go there, but I can’t quite figure out how to get the protagonist from point A to B.

When you find yourself in the same situation, step back and look at the scene from both a macro and micro perspective. Keep drilling down (or pulling back) until you find where the problem lies.

Continued at Fiction University: Where Do I Go From Here? Plotting Through “What Happens Next?” Part One

 

Other Plotting Resources

  1. K. M. Weiland uses tips from her book Structuring Your Novel to teach authors how to successfully plot each scene effectively to keep readers interested. How to Structure Scenes in Your Story (Complete Series)
  2. In a guest post on The Writer’s Dig (Writer’s Digest), Karen S. Wiesner offers authors the Story Plan Checklist to help them cover all of their bases when plotting their novel. Your Novel Blueprint
  3. Chuck Wendig, in 25 Ways To Plot, Plan and Prep Your Story, offers a variety of techniques for plotting your story and just getting the job done. In this list, you are bound to find at least one method that appeals to you.
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